The pacing of a video game narrative is essential to maintaining player engagement, yet striking the perfect balance can be quite challenging throughout the gameplay experience.
As an avid gamer, I’ve encountered numerous titles that failed to reach their full potential due to hasty conclusions or overly drawn-out segments. In many cases, these games could have offered richer experiences if they had effectively distributed events and pacing.
This list highlights ten games that concluded just as they were becoming truly engaging, leaving me with a lingering sense of wanting more.
10 Elden Ring Nightreign
Tarnishing FromSoftware’s Legacy
As a dedicated supporter of FromSoftware, I found Elden Ring Nightreign to be somewhat disappointing, particularly due to its minimal new content.
The game largely reuses concepts from Elden Ring, and the standout features are primarily limited to the Nightlords faced at the conclusion of each expedition.
While it’s clear that updates are planned for this game, the reality is that the climactic boss fights evoke the studio’s renowned legacy, making the abrupt ending after achieving peak gameplay significantly disheartening.
9 Cocoon
Just When Mastery Seems Attainable
Cocoon is a breathtaking journey from start to finish, consistently engaging players with its inventive puzzles and stunning ambience.
The immersive gameplay seamlessly integrates challenges within its core mechanics, although its original approach may require some adaptation.
Regrettably, by the time players start to master its nuances, the final boss encounter unfolds, cutting off the introduction of new puzzles.
It’s a bittersweet moment, as the game concludes precisely when its mechanics begin to feel intuitive and truly compelling, an unfortunate loss for the overall experience.
8 Call of Duty: Ghosts
A Host of Unresolved Mysteries
Although Call of Duty: Ghosts has gained some admiration over time, it feels as though we still underestimate the game’s intriguing conclusion.
Its unique setting and a narrative that strays from the series’ typical modern warfare formula offer a refreshing take, while the post-apocalyptic backdrop and large-scale missions add a distinct flavor.
Nonetheless, the brevity of the campaign, clocking in at around five hours, leads to numerous unanswered questions that left many anticipating a sequel that never materialized.
More than ten years later, players are left unresolved, especially after a closing that occurs right as the story intensifies.
7 Vanquish
An Exhilarating Campaign with Loose Threads
While Vanquish is peppered with clichés that undermine the seriousness of its narrative, it hints at something greater in its climactic moments.
A few plot twists transform the game into a more compelling experience, fully leveraging the fantastic setting and dynamic gameplay.
The gameplay is so exhilarating that the campaign feels overly brief, ending before players can fully appreciate its combat mechanics.
A more expansive story with additional boss encounters and deeper exploration of the concluding act could have propelled this game to masterpiece status.
6 Fallout 3
A Surprising Anti-Climax
After immersing myself in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, I carried similar feelings of wonder when first playing Fallout 3.
While the gameplay was captivating throughout, I was left mystified by the uninspired ending; it felt like there must be more to the story.
If it weren’t for its stellar side content and immersive world, I would rank Fallout 3 as merely a good title due to its abrupt and lackluster conclusion.
Even without expectations set by Skyrim, the story seemed to hold the potential for a more significant ending that would resonate throughout the narrative.
5 Dragon’s Dogma 2
An Unsatisfactory Conclusion
The standout feature of the original Dragon’s Dogma was its unique conclusion, an experience I have not encountered since.
I expected Dragon’s Dogma 2 to be innovative as well, but the anticlimactic nature of its ending was unexpected, as if the credits rolled right before the real climax.
When I opted out of the first ending, I assumed there was a wealth of content to explore in the Unmoored World, entering with high hopes.
Disappointingly, the pacing led me astray, and what I thought would be expansive endgame content turned out to be a fleeting moment, especially given the time constraints.
This is unfortunate because the lead-up to that point is well-paced, but it feels as if Dragon’s Dogma 2 leaves critical narrative threads unresolved.
4 INSIDE
A Short but Compelling Journey
While horror games centered on being hunted can be overwhelming, INSIDE stands out as a remarkable exception.
This indie gem, hailed as one of the greatest indie games of the last decade, captivates with its atmospheric design and inventive gameplay mechanics.
Its brilliantly conceived challenges and chilling sequences create a riveting atmosphere, yet the conclusion arrives unexpectedly.
I’m left pondering whether the world it presents could have offered a more extensive adventure with deeper narratives and gameplay depth.
Despite my critiques, I still view INSIDE as a masterpiece, although I find it hard to shake the feeling that it ended right when it had me most captivated.
3 Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
An Unfinished Narrative
The transition from Deus Ex: Human Revolution to Deus Ex: Mankind Divided can be quite jarring, highlighting a notable drop in quality.
Experiencing Adam Jensen in a narrative that feels not only incomplete but also disappointing was not anticipated; his journey deserved a far more satisfying sequel.
This installment refines the mechanics of its predecessor, but ultimately, the campaign concludes just as the storyline becomes enticing, revealing cracks that hint at a deeper narrative still unwritten.
The conclusion is so abrupt that it feels more like a cliffhanger rather than a deliberate narrative decision, leaving players yearning for resolution.
This is disappointing since Mankind Divided had the potential for greatness, but it remains obscured as merely a subpar follow-up.
2 Asura’s Wrath
An Incomplete Resolution
Asura’s Wrath captivated me with its rich narrative, unforgettable characters, and breathtaking cinematics. However, its original ending feels like an injustice.
Imagine being at the pinnacle of a thrilling narrative, only to find the true conclusion tucked away in a paid DLC.
At the time, I couldn’t afford the expansion, leading to a feeling of incompleteness as the story cut off abruptly before what promised to be a thrilling final encounter.
While I cherish Asura’s Wrath, I struggle to forgive Capcom for concluding the base game in such a defining moment.
1 Half-Life 2: Episode 2
The Most Agonizing Cliffhanger
My relationship with Half-Life 2 is unique; despite loving the core game, I’m not as enamored with its follow-up episodes.
While I value their contributions to the narrative, I feel they fall short compared to the original campaign, particularly as the finale of Episode 2 approaches.
Just when the story rekindles the wonder and anticipation I felt with Half-Life 2, the credits roll at a most inopportune moment in gaming history.
It’s not an exaggeration to say Half-Life 2: Episode 2 delivers the most frustrating cliffhanger in gaming, leaving fans longing for answers about Gordon Freeman’s fate.
That abrupt closure has since left a void in my gaming experience that remains unfulfilled.
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